To belt or not to belt

The debate is still raging if Union rural development minister Gopinath Munde, who died in a car crash in Delhi on June 3, would have survived had he been wearing a seat belt while sitting in the back seat of the ill-fated vehicle. Union health minister Harsh Vardhan has also pitched for a new law in this regard. In Bhubaneswar, though, people travelling in four-wheelers without seat belts is a common sight, despite the existence of a law that makes it compulsory not only for drivers, but also for front-seat passengers. Leave alone commoners, The Telegraph on Monday spotted a fewministers (see pictures) not wearing seat belts. While drivers do follow the law, if only to avoid the penalty of Rs 500, one hardly finds other occupants on the front seat of the vehicles wearing this safety device. However, drivers of some of the ministers, too, avoid putting on seat belts. The traffic cops, however, have been turning a blind eye to those flouting the law